Kinkaku-ji is almost always packed with visitors, walking in a long queue around the surrounding pond. Try to pick a time when crowd isn’t there - avoid holidays and weekends when it is too busy to enjoy. This gold leafed temple complex was once the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, and according to his will it became a Zen temple after his death in 1408. The temple style echo extravagant Kitayama culture that developed in the wealthy aristocratic circles of Kyoto during Yoshimitsu's times. You must read the popular novel, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Mishima Yukio which is based on the story of Kinkaku-ji being burnt down to ashes by a young monk. Kinkaku-ji is also the storehouse of sacred relics like the Buddha tooth amongst many others. #Kyoto #japan #history #mountains #climbing #views #hiking